Beautiful
by annonymouse
Summary: About a girl who had no confidence with the way she looks. Thank God for helpful, if obnoxious friends! *FINISHED ONE SHOT*


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Disclaimer: Characters you recognise here is from JK Rowling's imaginations, however the story line is mine. No infringement is inteded and I'm not making money from this story.

Millicent Bulstrode sat in front of her mirror unhappily. She tugged at her cheeks and prodded her nose. Her big eyes wrinkled in disgust.

She surveyed her whole face and found that thick, bushy eyebrows and thick lips greeted her line of vision. A snub nose sprinkled with freckles seemed to fill her whole face. A clump of wavy hair hung limp in front of her face.

Running a hand over her hair before tying it back she grimaced. Her mane of thick hair were coarse. Not like Pansy's, or Blaise's.

Pansy Parkinson and Blaise Zabini. Her two bestest friends. Her eyes strayed to a wizard photograph of Pansy, Blaise and herself. Millicent picked it up and frowned. She was the ugly duckling in the middle of a pair of swans.

It was a picture of them as fourth years. A picture of the night of the Yule Ball. She remembered that Pansy was embarrassed at having to wear the pink robe that her grandmother had picked out for her. Blaise was happily twirling in midnight blue robes which made her look mysterious. Well… As mysterious as a fourteen year old can look anyway. And Millicent… And Millicent, somehow Millicent felt she needed to make Pansy feel better and picked a worse dress to wear for herself. It was dusky pink and pretty in it's own way, but it did nothing for her tanned complexion. 

She can still recall the day perfectly in her mind.

*

__

"Come on_ Pansy! We'll be late." Draco called out to her._

"Mill! I can't go out there and look like this! I look awful! He'll laugh_..." Pansy tugged at the waist of her dress and frowned at the quietly chuckling mirror._

"Shut up or I'll throw a rock at you." Blaise growled at the mirror, it immediately went silent.

"That's better. Anyway, you look better than me." Millicent tried to comfort Pansy and patted her shoulders.

"You really don't have to you know Mill, I saw that gorgeous green dress your mum sent you." Pansy turned and looked at Millicent, "Go on, get changed."

"Nah, I'll be fine. Now come on!_ Your prince charming isn't exactly charming when he's pissed."_

The three went down the stairs, well, it would be more accurate to say that Pansy was dragged downstairs by Blaise and Millicent. 

A very impatient Draco Malfoy was pacing impatiently at the bottom of the stairs. He looked up and smiled when he saw the trio.

"Finally!" he exclaimed.

"I don't want to go." Pansy grumbled. Draco rolled his eyes.

"I know you look hideous and all, but we have to go!" he held his hand out. Pansy gave a little yelp of surprise. Thankfully at that moment Blaise took out something from his robes and grinned.

"Lets take pictures!"

It had become something of a habit with the trio that they'd take pictures of momentous days in their lives. And this is their first school ball. And Blaise also knew it was the only thing that could cheer Pansy up. The activity always seemed to lead to mass giggling and weird posses.

So jumping left and right and giggling, the three girls took pictures of each other. Taking turns to hold the camera. The unlucky Draco even managed to be dragged into the picture a few times.

"Blaise, let go." Draco growled.

"Awe! Drakkie-poo!!!" seeing that Draco was obviously rather annoyed she let go of him, a full formed pout on her face.

"Look, why don't I just take a picture of you three and then we can finally go. Okay?" and amidst shrieks someone tossed the camera to Draco. Rolling his eyes he caught the camera easily.

"Okay, say 'Draco is a hottie'!" 

"Draco is a hottie!" the three girls giggled.

  
*

The picture came out pretty good. All three had flushed faces and big smiles, the moment was preserved forever.

She traced the picture wistfully. How is it that Pansy and Blaise always managed to be graceful while she… Even as a seventh year Millicent was clumsy.

"Mill?" Pansy stuck her head through the door

"Are you brooding again?" Blaise asked while pushing Pansy in. Pansy gave a yelp as she landed face down on the green carpet. Blaise tossed her bag to a bed.

"Slob." Pansy muttered and stuck her tongue out, Blaise bowed graciously. Millicent forced a smile out as she turned to face her best friends.

"I think I put on another pound…" Millicent began, her light voice didn't mask her moody face.

"No you didn't!" the other two chorused.

"That Weasley…"

Blaise frowned and stalked over to where Millicent was and put her arms around the other girl's waist.

"You're a size fourteen. Perfectly sized for someone with your height." Blaise turned Millicent around again to face the mirror.

"Yeah, not skinny like those annoying muggle models, but beautiful. You're beautiful." Pansy joined in, circling her arms around Millicents' shoulders.

"I'm not. You're just saying that because you're my best friends." Millicent countered ruefully. She eyed Blaise's hair, soft and dark. Tumbling down her back like stopped smoke. Her pale complexion perfect and unblemished, it contrasted her hair gorgeously. 

On her other side was Pansy. Her honey blonde hair hung like curtain around her face, complementing her face shape. Pansy's pale eyes searched herself in the mirror.

"You know what, I swear my nose is a puggy as ever. Do you think it will ever right itself?" she sighed wistfully. She squidged her nose and grinned at her friends, hoping to draw a laugh from Millicent, but it didn't work.

Pansy's nose might be puggy but it was over looked when people noticed her lips and heavily lashed eyes.

"Look at your nose? Look at my _face…"_ Millicent finally replied. 

"Look at your eyes." Blaise pointed to the mirror. Electric blue eyes stared back at her. A shocking blue, it's edges were tinged with light brown.

"Witch's eyes." Millicent grinned to herself

"Honestly! Muggles are so weird! They have the stupidest ideas." Pansy groaned

"Don't tell me you just discovered that?" a drawling voice asked from behind them.

"Bugger off Draco." Pansy frowned. "You're not supposed to be here anyway."

Draco Malfoy lounged lazily by the door. He gave them a grin and blew a kiss to Pansy, who pretended to catch it and slapped it to her bottom.

"Ouch." Draco deadpanned.

Blaise groaned while Millicent rolled her eyes. In a few seconds they expected a snog fest to occur between Pansy and Draco. It had been like that since they started dating. It was almost sickeningly cute to watch. Not that many had the "luck" to see Draco and Pansy acting so cute.

But this time…

"Let's ask Draco!" Pansy grinned and pushed Millicent forward for her boyfriend's inspection.

"Ask me what?"

Millicent shook her head furiously.

"No, no, that's okay… Wouldn't want to trouble Draco…"

"Relax. I don't bite… Unless you want me too…" Draco gave a toothy grin

"Uhh…"

"Come on Mill, what?" he asked once more.

"She's thinking of the Yule Ball thing." Realisation dawned on Blaise's face.,

"Oh yes, I forgot about that…" Pansy began to frown.

"Ahhh… Umm… Kind of…" Millicent admitted. 

"Probably something about looks then, eh?" Draco asked. "Millicent's?" without waiting for an answer he looked at her. His grey eyes surveying the fidgeting girl in front of him. A thoughtful look was on his face. It seemed ages until he finally smiled at her.

"Positively…" three pairs of eyes watched him intently

"Well?" one of three asked.

"Positively… hideous!" he grinned

"Draco!" scolded Pansy as he gave a chuckle.

"I'm joking! Don't kill me… Anyway, I honestly don't know why you're asking me this! You look fine." Draco walked over to Millicent and poked a finger to her forehead

"Weasley…" Millicent began

"That prat? Oh come on. You seriously think he has any taste? I mean look at the clothes he wears! And his idea of beautiful is probably that bushy mongrel he calls his girlfriend!" he scowled.

"But…"

"Listen Bulstrode, I don't lie. You're _fine!_ You're a bit on the big side, but so what. At least we know you're not malnutritioned."

"Not exactly comforting…" Pansy muttered

"I'm a Malfoy! I don't do comforting! And anyway, the only problem I see in front of me is your hair. Easily fixable. Try using conditioner Bulstrode. Ever heard of it?" he asked sarcastically.

"You know Mill, you ought to listen to him." Blaise gave a smirk before continuing. "The advice did come from the person who has more hair care product than Weasleys have children." Draco glared at her before turning around and storming out of the room. He hated getting made fun at.

The trio looked at each other and started laughing. Getting Draco worked up was always so easy. It had become one of their favourite hobbies.

"Come on! McGonaggal's gonna go all catty at us if we're not on time." Draco said poking his head in. "Catty. Get it? McGonaggal… Catty…" Draco grinned at his own joke and sauntered away.

"I think he's been hanging around Vincent and Greg a bit much. That was unbelievably lame." Blaise made a face and grabbed her bag. 

"Hang on…" Millicent walked to the mirror and put the picture down, she took one look at the mirror and smiled. The Slytherins always gave each other great ego boosts.

She walked out of the room and smiled at her two awaiting friends, arms around each other, they walked to the transfiguration classroom.


End file.
